Barbara Jean Duff Brannon was born on December 19, 1951 in Gastonia, North Carolina to James Cornelius Duff and Johnsie Luvenia Carter. She was the middle child, having one older sister, and a younger brother and sister. She was raised by her paternal grandparents until she was twelve years old.
Relocating to New Haven, Connecticut, Barbara graduated from James Hillhouse High School in 1970. In 1972 she married Larry F. Brannon and moved to Oklahoma City.
A child magnet, Barbara's passion is early childcare and development. Once owning her own in-home business, she took care of her children, her neighbors children, and the children of friends and family. Hired in 1995 as a private child-care provider, she is yet employed as the Family Assistant.
She served as a mentor with a community program Mother-To-Mother. She sat on the Oklahoma County Foster Care Review Board for over 20 years. She volunteered at Mable Bassett Women's Facility with Kairos Prison Ministry and was a Volunteer Camp Counselor at New Day Camp, for children whose parents were incarcerated.
Barbara and her husband have 3 grown children and 6 grandchildren.